Radiant heater



W. LAMB RADIANT HEATER Jan. 2, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 26,1948 Q :i: E:

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RADIANT HEATER v FiledMarOh, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 fav;

. INVENTOR. //za d/ W. LAMB RADIANT HEATER Jan. Z, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 5Filed .March 2e, 194s R. f T VLM 7 mi;

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Patented Jan. 2, 1951 RADIANT HEATER Wade Lamb, Detroit, Mich.,assignor, by mesne assignments, to Continental .Radiant Glass HeatingCorporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Michigan ApplicationMarch 26, 1948, Serial No. 17,229

3 Claims. l

r`'I=he.,prese1'1t invention relates to space heaters-.and moreVparticularly to an improved electric wall-.type heater.

'It is an. object of the invention to providev an improved wall-typeheater incorporating improved-:means for removably mon'. ing the heatingelement. on theA main frame thereof.

Itis also an object of the invention toprovide. in a wall-type heater,an improved mounting means for supporting `a heater unit assemblycomprising Va tempered glass element .which carriesanelongatedelectrical resistance heatingl element.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heater having a heatingunit assembly of the above-mentioned type, and including improved meansforpreventing inadvertent disconnecting ofthe electric wires from theterminals of the heatingv element.

A further object is to provide a heater having improved means formounting a heating .unit assembly of the above mentioned type whichfacilitatesconvection heating by said heater.

It is also. an object of the invention to provide a Wall-,type heaterhaving a yprotective grill formed of a. plurality of L-shaped rods.andthe main heater frame of which is adapted to. support the rods in afirst position `in which they afi-ord a protective grill for the heater,in a secondposition in which they form a rack for drying short articlesbefore the heater and in a third position in which they form a rackadapted for-.dryinglong articles before the heater.

Otherwand more detailed objects of the invention willnbecome apparentfrom a consideration of the following specification, the kappendedclaims/.andthe accompanying drawings wherein:

Figurelisya front elevation of a heater embodying the invention;

Fgigs...2, 3, 4,'and 5 are enlarged broken sectional views of thevstructure illustrated in Fig. 1 takenrespectively along the lines 2-2, 33, 4-4,:.and 5v5 thereof;

`figs..67, and 8 are broken sectional views of thestructurer,illustratedin Fig. 2 taken respectively along t'he lines 6 6,1 1, rand 8--8 thereof;

H1"ig..9fis anA enlarged broken sectional view of theistructureillustrated in Fig. 1 taken substantial-lyfalongfthe .line i-B thereof;and

zEigs. l0. and l1 are broken sectional views illustratingalternativepositions in which the grill rods-.may y be supported.

Referringto thev drawings, the heater'generallyficomprises a-mainframel2 havingzan electric terminal box I suitably secured to the backthereof and a large shallow recess it in its front face, a secondaryframe id received within the recess I6 and removably mounted on theframe l2, a heating unit assembly 2s qmounted ony the secondary frame itand the terminals of which are suitably connected to the terminal box I4by electric wires 22 and 2d, .and ,a vplurality rof L-shaped rods 2enormally affording a protective grill at the front of the heater. v

The main frame l2 may be securedv in place upon an associated wall byany suitable `means (not shown) and is preferably stamped or otherwisesuitably formed of sheet metal. rhe centralportion thereof is rearwardlyoffset to provide a vertically extending wall 28 at the inner or rearend of the recess Iii and to the back of which the terminal box id issuitably secured. The Wall 28 is ribbed or uted as at 39 to improve itsstructural strength and prevent warping during operation of the heater.Opposed aligned pivot pins 32 project into the recess I5 through theside walls 34 thereof adjacent their upper ends. The pivot pins 32 arecarried on spring arms 36 which are riveted to the frame l2 and urge thepivot pins 32 to the position illustrated in the drawings in which theyproject into the recess I6. vSmall apertures 38 are provided. in therecess walls 3d below the pivot pin 32 through which any smallinstrument, such as a pencil or the like, may be inserted to pressagainst the spring finger 3@ and withdraw the pvotv pin 32 carriedthereby from the recess IS. The frame l2 is also provided, at theportion of thewall 28 to which the terminal box lli is secured, with anaperture opening into the recess I6, a ilange 42 surrounding theaperture dii and projecting into the recess I6.

The secondary frame it includes a vertically extending sheet metal wallelement the peripheral portion of which defines a forwardly projectingange 4S. The sheet metal member 44 is received within the recess i6 andat opposite ends of the member 44 and adjacentthe top thereof, theforwardly turned flange lid is provided with apertures receiving thepivot pins 32 and pivotally mounting the secondary frame within .therecess i6. As in the case of the rear wall portions 28 of the fra-me i2,the member lll Ais ribbed or fluted as at 3S to provide additionalstructural strength and prevent warping of the membervd during operationof the heater.

vThe heater unit assembly 2S is generally of conventional constructionand comprises a -rectangularglass plate 5c having a long vcontinueuschannel 52 etched in one face thereof and running from one corner backand forth across the plate and terminating at the diagonally oppositecorner. An electric resisting element is iormed by depositing a strip ofconventional aluminum alloy 54 in the channel 52. The strip 54 may beapplied to the glass U in any conventional inanner such as spraying themetal 'eis onto the tempered glass 5e while the latter is only partiallycooled. After cooling, the surface oi' the glass mi in which the channel52 is i'ormed may then be ground to remove the metal from betweenadjacent portions of the channel 52, thereby insuring a singlecontinuous elongated heating element.

The heating unit assembly 2li is supported on the secondary frame memberd4 by means of two pairs of insulators 55 and 58 having recesses G and62 which are complementai'y to and receive the four corners or" theplate 5i?. These insulators are positioned against forwardly projectingtabs SSstruck from the frame member #le and are secured to the latter bymeans of screws 64.

To provide a cover ior the insulators ed and 5E a pair of trim strips t5extend vertically along opposite ends oi" the glass plate Eil and attheir opposite ends extend over and conceal the insulators 5S and 53. Aninner flange 'iii of each trim strip 66 extends downwardly and abutsagainst the outer face of the glass member 5t and the outei' ange 'i2 ofeach trim strip tu, which extends only intermediate the insulators 56and 58, extends along the inner face of the secondary 'frame member 44and is anchored thereto by means of screws le.

As best illustrated in Figures 1 and 9, the recess !6 and the secondaryframe member il@ are so proportioned that space is provided both at thetop and bottom of the secondary frame member 45 between the flange dthereof and the upper and lower wall of the recess it. It will thus beappreciated that during operation of the heatervconvection air currentsmay enter at the bottom of the secondary frame i8 and pass upwardlybetween the secondary frame member lil and the rear wall 28 of therecess, and pass outwardly at the top of the secondary .frame It.Similarly, the glass plate 5e is so proportioned relative to thesecondary frame member d that convection aii currents may enter at thebottom ci the glass plate 5B between the lower edge of the plate and theforwardly turned iiange it of the secondary frame member 4.4 and passupwardly between the heating unit assembly 2t and the secondary framemember 4d and outwardly at the top of the glass plate 5E? between itsupper edge and the forwardly turned flange l of the secondary frameinember 44.

The space atthe bottom of the glass 50 between the lower edge of theglass Sil and the forwardly turned flange t5 of the secondary framemember i4 also permits access to a pair of screws i'l extending throughapertures in the frame member @d and threading into stationary nut meansi8 secured in forwardly offset bosses B formed on the frame l2 in therear wall 28 of the recess It. The screws l5 secure the secondary frameI8 against pivotal movement relative to the main frame i2, and liold thesecondary frame member 44 in spaced parallel relation to the rear wall28 of the recess I6. To insure that the proper spaced relation ismaintained between the walls 28 and 44 and the glass eil, pairs ofspacer buttons m4 are secured on opposite sides of the wall member 4d byrivets IUS.

The electric wires 22 and 24 have one end con- 4 nected to associatedterminals in the terminal box I4, and enter the recess le' through theopening 4u in its rear wall 28. The wires 22 and 24 extend to theinsulators 5d at the diagonally opposite corners oi the heating unitassembly Z at which are the opposite ends or' the electric resistanceheating strip 54. The wires extend along and are enclosed in a passaget2 best illustrated in Fig. :i and denned by complementary recessesformed in the bacx of the secondary i'rame member i4 and in areinforcing strip 84 extending diagonally across the back 0I' thesecondary irame member 44 and spot welded or otherwise suitably securedthereto. At the opposite ends ol' the electric resistance heatingelement e4 the wire portion 0I' the insulated electric wires 22 and 24,which preierably include a piurality of iine wires, are :dared outwardlyand soldered or otherwise secured to the heating element 54. Theinsulators be ai'e iormed to provide biiurcated portions 86 overlyingthis connection and iirmly gripping an insulated portion 0I' tneelectricwires 2.'. and zii. 1t will be appreciated that this constructionprevents inadvertent breaslng oi the connection between tile wires 22and ze and the heating element e4 by pulls upon trie wires which mayresult Irom movement of the secondary frame la relative to the mainframe I2. I

itei'erring to Figs. 1 and 9, the L-shaped rods 2t have a snort hookportion 88 formed on the outer end or' trie shorter leg UU thereof andalso are provided with an offset portion 52 disposed in spaced relationto the outer end oi' the longer leg se thereof. The Irame I2 is providedwith a plurality oi' upwardly presenting apertures 96 formed in thelower wail oi' the recess Iii and adapted to receive the outer end orthe longer leg se of the rod 2t. Along its upper suriace, the irame l2has a plurality of upwardly presenting apertures S8 adapted to receiveeither end oi' the rod 2t. Adjacent the apertures 38 the frame I2 isi'ormed to provide forwardly extending channel portions me adapted toreceive the rods Ze to prevent pivoting of the rods in the apertures 9&5and e8. Below the apertures 98 and iii substantial alignment therewith,the rear wall E3 of the recess ie is formed to provide verticallyextending upwardly openlng channel portions Iu2 adapted to receive theouter end of either of the legs @il or 94 of the rods 26.

It will now be appreciated that the rods 26 may be supported on the mainframe I2 in a first position illustrated in Figure 9 in which thehoolqed portion 38 of the shorter leg Sil is' received in the aperture98 and the adjacent portion of the shorter leg is received in thechannel portion Hill, and the outer end of the longer leg 94 is receivedin the aperture lit. When the rods 25 are in this position they afford aprotective grill for the heater. It will be appreciated that the rods 26may also be supported on the frame I2 in the position illustrated inFig. 10 in which the entire shorter leg gli is received through theaperture 98 and the outer end thereof is received in the channel portion|02, the inner end of the longer leg et being received in the channelportion I2 and the remainder of the leg 94 eX- tending outwardly fromthe heater substantially horizontally and aiiording a rack adapted tosupport short articles before the heater. It will also be appreciatedthat the rods 26 may be supported upon the heater frame I2 in theposition illustrated in Figure l1 in which the outer end of the longerleg 94 of the rod projects through the aperture 98 and into the channelportion I 02, the rod moving inwardly of the aperture 98 until furthermovement is prevented by the offset portion 92. In this position of therods 26 the shorter legs 90 project in a generally horizontal positionand afford short racks adapted to support longer articles for dryingbefore the heater such, for example, as hose and the like.

Although only one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed in detail, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled inthe art that numerous modications and changes may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An electric wall heater comprising a vertically disposed main framehaving a horizontally opening recess, a secondary frame disposed Withinsaid recess, means for hinging said secondary frame on said main framein spaced par-- allel relation to the rear Wall of said recess, atempered glass element having an elongated electrical resistance heatingelement mounted on the rear face thereof, means mounting said glasselement on said secondary frame in spaced parallel relation, andconductor means for electrically connecting said heating element to asuitable supply of electrical energy, said secondary frame having a walldisposed intermediate said glass element and said rear wall of saidrecess and the construction and arrangement of said main frame, saidsecondary frame and said glass element being such as to permitconvection air currents to iow both between said glass element and saidwall of secondary frame and between said Wall of said secondary frameand said rear wall.

2. An electric heater comprising a main frame, an electric terminal boxmounted on said frame, a secondary frame, means mounting said secondaryframe on said main frame and adapted to permit movement of the formerrelative to the latter, a supporting element, a resistance heatingelement mounted on said supporting element, means mounting saidsupporting element on said secondary frame including an insulatoradapted to engage said supporting member and having a bifurcated portionoverlying said heating element, and conductor means for electricallyconnecting said heating element to said terminal box, said last namedmeans including a wire having one end connected to said heating elementand a portion adjacent said end received in said bifur-cated portion ofsaid insulator, said insulator and said Wire being so proportioned thatsaid wire is firmly gripped in said bifurcated portion therebypreventing disconnecting of said wire from said heating element byinadvertent pulling of said wire such as may occur during movement ofsaid secondary frame relative to said main frame.

3. An electric heater comprising a sheet metal main frame having a largeshallow recess in the front face thereof, a secondary frame disposedwithin said recess and including a sheet metal wall extending in spacedparallel relation to the rear wall of said recess, a tempered glasssupporting element mounted on said secondary frame forwardly of saidwall thereof and in spaced parallel relation thereto, an elongatedresistance heating element mounted on the inner face of said supportingelement and terminating at diagonally opposite corners thereof areinforcing strip mounted on said wall of said secondary frame andcooperating therewith to dei-lne a passage extending between pointsadjacent said opposite corners, and conductor means for electricallyconnecting said heating element to a suitable supply of electricalenergy, said last named means including insulated Wires extending alongsaid passage.

WADE LAMB.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

